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Format of 'select' generated menu

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# 1  
Old 04-11-2014
Format of 'select' generated menu
Oracle Linux 5.6 64-bit

Given the below snippet

Code:
ORACLE_SID=''
PS3='Select target (test) database being refreshed: '
#
while [[ $ORACLE_SID = "" ]]; do
  select ORACLE_SID in `egrep -i '^FS|^HR' /etc/oratab |\
      awk -F\: '{print $1}'|sort` ; do
    if [[ $ORACLE_SID = "" ]]; then
         echo
         echo "Please enter a valid number.  Retry.";
         echo
    elif [[ $ORACLE_SID = "None of the above" ]]; then
         exit ;
    else {
          break ;
         }
    fi
    break
    done
done

Produces a menu that looks like this, exactly as expected.

Code:
1) fsaaaaa
2) fsbbbbb
3) fsccccc
4) hrddddd
Select target (test) database being refreshed:

But now I want to add a "none of the above" item to the menu.
So add it in, thus:

Code:
while [[ $ORACLE_SID = "" ]]; do
  select ORACLE_SID in `egrep -i '^FS|^HR' /etc/oratab |\
      awk -F\: '{print $1}'|sort` "None of the above" ; do
    if [[ $ORACLE_SID = "" ]]; then
         echo
         echo "Please enter a valid number.  Retry.";
         echo
    elif [[ $ORACLE_SID = "None of the above" ]]; then
         exit ;
    else {
          break ;
         }
    fi
    break
    done
done

And the menu went from a single column to three columns:

Code:
1) fsaaaaa           3) fsccccc           5) None of the above
2) fsbbbbb           4) hrddddd
Select target (test) database being refreshed:

It behaves exactly as I planned, but I don't understand the change of format.
# 2  
Old 04-11-2014
What shell are you using? I know that bash tries to format it elegantly if it can, depending on available space, number of, and size of options.
# 3  
Old 04-11-2014
Just using sh. First line of script is
Code:
#!/bin/sh

I thought at first it might be an issue with the interaction with IFS, but I added the same "none of the above" option to another block elsewhere in the script ... one that only produces 3 choices (plus my 'none of the above') and it formats in a single column.

I could try it with bash and see what happens. Hopefully there won't be other slight differences that impact some of the other code ... Worst comes to worst, I can live with it like it is, but I'd like to learn something from it as well.

---------- Post updated at 12:44 PM ---------- Previous update was at 12:05 PM ----------

Just as a follow up, I just noticed that /bin/sh is just a symbolic pointing to /bin/bash, so I guess my script is being processed by bash
# 4  
Old 04-11-2014
/bin/sh just means "any shell compatible with generic bourne". It could be bash, ksh, or even old-fashioned, honest-to-goodness, written-in-1977 Bourne written by Steven Bourne himself.

So if you're using anything except generic Bourne features, you should probably specify what shell you're using more exactly.

The output of select can differ from shell to shell. If it's readable, I don't really see an issue.
# 5  
Old 04-14-2014
Quote:
Originally Posted by Corona688
/bin/sh just means "any shell compatible with generic bourne". It could be bash, ksh, or even old-fashioned, honest-to-goodness, written-in-1977 Bourne written by Steven Bourne himself.

So if you're using anything except generic Bourne features, you should probably specify what shell you're using more exactly.

The output of select can differ from shell to shell. If it's readable, I don't really see an issue.
As noted in my edit, I discovered that /bin/sh is a symbolic pointing specifically to /bin/bash.

My shell scripting is pretty much self-taught; consequently, a lot of the subtleties of the differences between the various shells escape me. I'm aware there are differences, but the specifics in any given instance aren't always clear.

"If it's readable ...."
I agree. Which is why I said I can live with it but would like to use this as a learning experience (see comment on 'self taught' -- Smilie )
# 6  
Old 04-14-2014
How about
Code:
export COLUMNS=20
$ select A in A B C D E F G "None of the above "; do :; done

# 7  
Old 04-15-2014
RudiC,

That fixed the display to what I was after.
FWIW, I found no reference to this in any discussion or example of 'select'. Of course, when you showed that, the first thing I did was go back to my references to see what I could find about COLUMNS. The only thing I could find was in my copy of Unix in a Nutshell, where it says "Screen's column width; used in line edit modes and select lists." That's it. Doesn't really explain how it is used, particularly in select lists. I did read in another reference that its default value is 80. Can you explain a bit more about the interaction going on here?
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